Headwaters School Elementary Expansion

Headwaters School (formerly The Khabele School) is an independent, coeducational school serving ages 18 months through 12th grade across three campuses. American Constructors built a new 3,400-square-foot building on the existing four-acre elementary school campus in South Austin to hold three new early elementary classrooms. From the beginning of this expansion project, Headwaters School, which is based on the Montessori model of education, envisioned “a village in the forest” as a sanctuary to foster the physical, mental, and spiritual development of their second and third-grade students. The architect incorporated specific design features and details in order to communicate this vision, which we were able to successfully achieve while keeping the schedule on track and maintaining the budget.

The building is composed of a native Texas limestone exterior veneer with stucco and a kiss-burned wood siding. It also features a wood deck with a central concrete planter, bronze Polygal canopy, and clerestory windows that allow for daylighting. The grounds feature a play court, a Y-8 soccer field, open play space, and a rain garden filled with native plants. Eventually, the campus will continue to grow to include a total of six new buildings.

“The open and thorough communications from American Constructors’ personnel regarding the construction schedule was consistently accurate, even during the rainiest spring in recent memory. They were clear about limitations, whether it was the permitting limitations or the unusual weather, and did not overpromise, but worked creatively to help find solutions to complete the project on time.”